2017 Fall Preview: Mansfield Softball

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By Matt Turer — mturer@ky3.com

@MattTurer

There’s a lot of experience back in Mansfield this year following an 11-win season in 2016.

The Lions graduated a pair of starters in third baseman Calista Bogart and right fielder Ashlyn Moore, but with seven starters coming back, Aaron Gray’s group looks primed for a good 2017.

“We are expecting to build on the success we had last fall and spring (the Lions finished 11-5 in spring ball),” Gray said. “We’re returning a good core group that we hope can compete for a conference and district title…if we play better defense [than last season].”

Mansfield is just a couple years removed from back-to-back 17-win seasons (2013, 2014), making the program’s 3-15 record in 2015 a massive outlier. As far as wins go, expect this season to land somewhere between those 2013-14 seasons and what Lions fans saw in 2016.

“The girls have done a good job of buying into our hitting philosophy and we should hit the ball fairly well,” Gray said. “But as with a number of teams, defense and pitching will be key.”

Gray will look to senior Elanna Sabado and freshman Megan Langley on the mound.

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“Langley has been working hard to come in and compete for time,” he said. “They are two different types of pitchers that can keep opposing hitters off-balance.

Gray on Sabado: “She’s not a hard thrower. She keeps the ball around the plate and does an excellent job of pitching to contact. We just have to play defense behind her.”

Gray on Langley, who he billed as Mansfield’s top incoming freshman: “She’s a pitcher who can also play multiple infield positions. I look for her to throw a lot of innings. She throws the ball with more velocity and has off-speed pitches as well. Her key will be throwing strikes. If she can prove to do this it will open us up to play Sabado elsewhere, which will help with the loss of two seniors last season.”

Junior Sydnee Greene will catch Sabado and Langley. It’s Greene’s third year starting behind the plate.

Junior shortstop Karsyn Brooke is Mansfield’s top bat. Brooke hit .456 last year with 14 extra-base hits, 27 RBIs and 12 steals, leading the Lions in almost every offensive category and hitting hit .526 with runners in scoring position.

“We’ll look for her to be a big middle-of-the-order bat that can hit the ball with power and drive in runs,” Gray said.

Speedy sophomore left fielder Gracie Williams had a strong freshman year and is on the rise. Williams was 23-23 in stolen base attempts in 2016 and had a .283 average (she hit .333 in the spring).

“Gracie is blessed with tremendous speed,” Gray said. “If she continues to work hard she can be one of the top outfielders in the area. She does a great job tracking balls and gets to a lot of balls that many can’t.”

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